The invention relates to a high-pressure discharge lamp provided with a discharge vessel which is enclosed with intervening space by an outer envelope and which is provided with electrodes between which a discharge extends in the operational condition of the lamp, while each electrode is connected to a relevant current supply conductor, and provided with an igniter circuit which comprises a voltage-dependent capacitor and a fuse.
A lamp of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph is known from EP-A-0431 696. In the known lamp, which is suitable for operation in series with a stabilizer ballast on an AC voltage supply source, the capacitor is arranged in the outer envelope. In the known lamp, the fuse is included in the electrical connection between the voltage-dependent capacitor and the current supply conductors. It is achieved by this that an overload on the stabilizer ballast owing to excessively high currents is prevented through melting of the fuse even under unfavourable conditions such as a short-circuit in the capacitor.
It is attractive to arrange the capacitor in the outer envelope because of a comparatively simple lamp manufacturing method, inter alia because there is comparatively much space available there, in contrast to, for example, the lamp cap.
A disadvantage of the known lamp is the use of at least one additional component in the form of the fuse in the igniter circuit. This raises the manufacturing cost both on account of a higher complexity of the manufacture and on account of a rise in the reject percentage during manufacture. A further disadvantage is that the use of the additional component seriously hampers an automation of lamp manufacture. This accordingly leads to a more expensive manufacturing method for the lamp.